The Bills were fortunate that Josh Allen's injuries didn't derail their season, given how they exposed him to risk.

Every heart in Western New York stopped in unison on Thursday night.

Around 9 p.m. By The Erie Canal, Josh Allen was forcefully brought down by star pass rusher Will Anderson in Houston. At that moment, Allen began to writhe in agony.

At first sight, it wasn't obvious what Allen's injury was. It was just evident he was in pain.

A few minutes later, Bills Mafia's hearts could finally resume beating after Allen seemed alright, though it was fortunate. The situation might have escalated significantly.

And the Bills did nothing to stop it.

Thursday night's loss to the Texans was a tough defeat against a tough defense, yes.

But it was also a head-scratching case of Buffalo putting Allen in harm's way, again and again.

The run game was working, but the Bills didn't run enough. Instead, they asked Allen to take deep drops against the best pass-rush unit on the planet. No wonder he was sacked eight times and was running for his life all night long.

There was a point when the Bills' season ought to have become clearer. They should have understood that this was a game Allen couldn't win by acting like Superman. The only potential outcome of Allen attempting to do too much against this opponent would be an injury that would effectively crush Buffalo's hopes of achieving anything significant this year.

Late in the second half, there was another scare: a third-down sack where Allen winced and attempted to shake his right arm. This might have been related to the earlier injury. Or perhaps it wasn't.

However, this is precisely the situation you'd want to avoid involving your franchise quarterback, especially one many regard as the NFL's top player, and certainly not twice in one evening.

This was Joe-Burrow-on-the-Bengals level of malpractice. The Bills demonstrated repeatedly that they couldn't safeguard Allen, and that even the exceptional Allen couldn't shield himself.

Despite this, they continued to expose him to danger, repeating the same actions repeatedly, hoping for an altered outcome, which is the essence of madness.

The defeat is unpleasant, certainly. Earning only three points during the second half seems unacceptable, indeed. Failing to convert after that excellent hook and ladder play on fourth and 27 is disappointing, absolutely.

But the Bills put themselves on the brink of something so much more devastating on Thursday night.

Numerous Buffalo players sustained injuries during the game. While some players returned to the field, others, such as Terrel Bernard who suffered a severe-looking injury to his right elbow, did not.

It was a brutal night that would've felt like a Phyrric victory even in a win.

So the lack of a win, really, winds up meaning very little. 

The Bills should just fly home grateful that Allen's season isn't over. Because too often on this night, they left that hanging in the balance.

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